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Wild in Aberdeen - City and Shire (3 Viewers)

Peregrine Falcons

There has been plenty of action from the city centre Peregrines this week.Adults and youngsters chasing each other and making a hell of a noise,doing so.Most activity takes place between 5.30am and 7am and the main spots for seeing them is,Upperkirkgate,Marischal College (restricted views),Kirk of St Nicholas (the big one on Union Street) and the red Triple Kirk building.A great way to start the day.
 
I've been in those areas four times this week and the only birds I've seen are the usual Common/Herring Gulls and Feral Pigeons :-C
Anyone suggest somewhere to go birding in Aberdeen? Where is Girdleness?
 
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I've been in those areas four times this week and the only birds I've seen are the usual Common/Herring Gulls and Feral Pigeons :-C
Anyone suggest somewhere to go birding in Aberdeen? Where is Girdleness?

Have to say Seagull,it would be hard to pick out the Peregrines during the working day,as the areas they are in are bustling with people and traffic.Best bet,is to stand in Upperkirkgate,early in the morning outside "The Tastie Tattie" and look for them,at the places I list.At the moment,they are very vocal and once you heard them,you would easily be able to watch them.
 
:-C
Anyone suggest somewhere to go birding in Aberdeen? Where is Girdleness?

Girdleness is a headland,just outside of the Torry area of the city.If you know where Balnagask Golf Course is,then it is the area of coast and grassland that surrounds the course.No doubt Andrew or Ken may post a link for you.
 
Calvin, Girldness is arguably one of the best places to go birdwatching in the whole of Aberdeenshire when the winds are in the right direction; you can get fantastic sea bird passages off there and rare passerines (if you can find them). However, it is not at its best right now; wait until the Autumn and undoubtedly there will be copious bird activity at Girdlness.;)
 
Calvin, Girldness is arguably one of the best places to go birdwatching in the whole of Aberdeenshire when the winds are in the right direction; you can get fantastic sea bird passages off there and rare passerines (if you can find them). However, it is not at its best right now; wait until the Autumn and undoubtedly there will be copious bird activity at Girdlness.;)

Just to add to this, I tend to think that the autumn really starts in August and, well, it's August! This is potentially the best month for seabird passage and there have been a number of good falls of migrants in August in recent years. It's all about the weather though. Keep an eye on the 'Birds fae Torry' thread to see what's around.
 
Andrew is dead right - over the last few years August falls on the ness have included 4 greenish warblers, great snipe, Icterine warbler, red backed shrike, wryneck and loads of common migrants, as well as the first two swallowtail butterflies to be seen in scotland for oodles of years. I've missed all of these falls being away with work or on holiday - and as I'm away this august as well, I reckon it's quite likely to happen again! The biggest fall happened on 9/10 august 2006 (don't quote me on the year....may have been 05) so basically, as Dr W so sagely advised.....Autumn starts now!!!

Watch the weather, put the hours in, and I think you stand a good chance of a decent bird at the ness this Autumn....good luck!
 
Have to say Seagull,it would be hard to pick out the Peregrines during the working day,as the areas they are in are bustling with people and traffic.Best bet,is to stand in Upperkirkgate,early in the morning outside "The Tastie Tattie" and look for them,at the places I list.At the moment,they are very vocal and once you heard them,you would easily be able to watch them.

I don't know, I've seen the female Peregrine flying low down the centre of Union Street above the heads of all the people while waiting for the bus.

I see them frequently as I work in the vicinity of Marischal College, but I see them very often near Cromwell Road recreation ground too. If you look up repeatedly, you'll definitely see them on and off.

Cheers
 
I don't know, I've seen the female Peregrine flying low down the centre of Union Street above the heads of all the people while waiting for the bus.

I see them frequently as I work in the vicinity of Marischal College, but I see them very often near Cromwell Road recreation ground too. If you look up repeatedly, you'll definitely see them on and off.

Cheers

Know what you are saying but it is easier to look for them (and hear them) when you have some space to yourself and dont run the risk of being run/knocked over by childrens buggies/shoppers,later in the day.
 
Went shopping for a camera today and now home with a Panasonic FZ28, looked for Peregrines up and down Union Street and Marschial College and even parked on the roof of John Lewis for a good view - yet again, no Peregrines but lots of Gulls and Swifts.
 
I had hoped to be telling you all about a fantastic day's birding in the remoter parts of Aberdeenshire, but as you know, the best laid schemes and all that. Yesterday morning, the missus wasn't feeling too bright, but I set off for Strathbeg anyway. My conscience was troubling me a bit, but I was rather keen to see the Green Sandpiper there. When I arrived at the visitor centre, a Marsh Harrier was cruising over the red beds, but soon disappeared. The gulls and terns were making a right racket as usual, but I ignored them and started scanning the pools for waders. Lots of Lapwings and Curlews, but nothing small and dainty. Then by pure chance, when I was checking a distant narrow strip of water, a sandpiper came into view. It kept disappearing behind grass and reeds, and reappearing for a second at a time. Not a Green Sand though, too pale and look at that monster supercillium. Even at long range it was striking. Then a second bird joined it, another of the same. Two blokes came in to the centre and started walking about, having a coffee from the machine, and not really looking at anything. Every time they moved, the floor went boing boing (if you've been there you'll know what I mean) and I had a hard time keeping the birds in view. Then it hit me. Not Green Sands, but Wood Sandpipers. The two blokes thumped out of the centre, and one sandpiper flew off towards the loch. There was no more sign of the other one. I had a sneaky look in the field guide and confirmed my ID, cos I've only ever seen one before. Then I had a look in the log book, and lo and behold, one had been seen the previous day. I thought I'd better phone home. Herself was not at all well, I abandoned the birding, drove home and took her into hospital. The doctor had arranged it. Now I'm glad to say she is recovering well and might be home in a couple of days.

I see I've been concentrating on this thread recently and ignoring my own web site diary and photos. Shame. I must redress the balance. The rest of you can take over here.

PS. Two Wood Sands reported at Strathbeg again today.
 
I was out birding as well today, but not at Strathbeg unfortunately. My Dad and I went to Girdleness, the Ythan, and Blackdog. However, we didn't get out until 1:00 due to the rain. For us, it was generally not the best of days, partially due to the weather during the day (which was pretty foul until around 3:00). Things to note from today is a passage of 300 Gannet and a distant Great Skua off Girdlness, and 5 Whimbrel, a few Greenshank and a Little Egret at the Ythan. Also we saw around 70 Tufted Duck on Meickle Loch, which isn't exactly exciting, but more than I have ever seen on there. As for the Surf Scoter, even though we checked when the weather had cleared up and visibility was genrally good, we didn't see it. That's three times this year that my Dad and I have failed to find it! I wish we were at Strathbeg, as according the local birder Dave Gill who we met when checking Waulkmill Hide at the Ythan, the weather was much better up there, and there were 4 species of Sandpiper present (Green, Wood, Pectoral and Common) plus Little Gull and 'Ralph' the White-tailed Eagle. That would have been a much better day, and certainly bloggable one! (I didn't think todays findings were really worth blogging, hence why I have reported my day here instead). However, my Dad and I are probably going to go up to Strathbeg next week. I hope that the Wood and Green Sands are still there. as I haven't seen either of those birds that often (I've only seen one Wood Sand, and only a few Green Sands). Not the best of days; but still, I can see a great few months ahead of us here in Aberdeenshire.:king:
 
Went shopping for a camera today and now home with a Panasonic FZ28, looked for Peregrines up and down Union Street and Marschial College and even parked on the roof of John Lewis for a good view - yet again, no Peregrines but lots of Gulls and Swifts.

The roof of John Lewis is a good place to see them in the areas I mentioned.
 
Was at Den of Maidencraig from 8-9PM last night with little birds seen only Gulls and Swifts. Heaps of Frogs and Toads though, tripping over them. And Pitbulls off the leash :-C
I heard the Grasshopper Warbler again though.
 
Just to add to the whole 'it can be really good right now' discussion, I'd go so far as to argue that August is the most consistently good month of the year for birding on the Aberdeenshire coast. It's certainly the best month for waders (at least in terms of variety and the possibility for rarities), is as good as any month for seawatching and we've regularly had excellent falls of migrants. There's always a lot going on and, whilst other months can be great in the right conditions, they can be pretty quiet in the wrong ones.

The Ythan Estuary is very much at its best at this time of year, with loads of terns still about and a great variety of waders, often in their summer best. I managed 15 species of wader in a few hours this afternoon, almost all of them downstream of the road bridge. The highlights were 105 Knot, 42 Sanderling, 5 Whimbrel, 7 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Greenshank and a Ruff. Nothing too unusual but at this time of year there's always a hope of something out of the ordinary in amongst everything else. It was good to see large numbers of terns around as well, including lots of young Arctics. Plenty of young Eiders and Shelduck too. I didn't see the Little Egret that was reported, nor the 'Little Bittern' either, (eh Birdguides;)). Just to clarify, the Little Egret was mistakenly listed as a Little Bittern and I got a bit fretful when I got a text about it! I calmed down a bit when it was corrected a few minutes later.
 
I popped into the DoM yesterday afternoon on my way home for a half hour. As Calvin says, very quiet apart from gulls and swifts. But I did get really close views of a Whitethroat, in the bushes above the pond. No sign of the Mallard family.
 
I paid a visit to the Tarland bird hide today. As Ken says, the vegetation is getting very tall now, but there were a few birds about. A lot of Lapwings (about 90) on the main pool, including a good number of young birds (although my efforts to try to estimate what proportion were birds of the year were hampered by the vegetation). About 12 Teal all in female/eclipse plumage along with three fluffy ducklings (although these could have been mallards!). Four adult, four juvenile and one fluffy black Moorhen (three of the juveniles were perched rather incongruously on the upper stems of a large tussock of rushes). Probably best bird was a Snipe which gave prolonged views feeding out in the pool.

Nearby, the roadside pond at Hopewell (by the Tarland-Migvie road) held loads of Mallards, a couple of Teal, six or seven Tufted Ducks (including a flotilla of fluffy ducklings) a Little Grebe and a Mute Swan. There may have been a Wigeon too, but it was disappearing behind an island before I got a proper view, so it could have just been an eclipse Mallard.

Strangest sighting of the day was a Common Sandpiper running down the road in front of me at Coull. It was reluctant to fly and I wondered if it had young nearby, but I couldn't see any.
 
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At least a mild success for me today, I heard a definate Peregrine from the Harriet St. Car Park (Schoolhill beside Boots) and saw a wouldn't bet on it Peregrine that might be a Herring Gull
 
Bird Forum Bash 12 - 13th September, north-east Scotland. Date and venue still to be confirmed, but looks very likely. So keep that weekend free and come along.

For anyone not familiar with BF Bashes, it is just a getting together of members, their friends and relatives, and anyone else interested, when we go birding. There are usually one or two experts on hand to make sure we all have a successful time, but there will be a wide mix of experience and abilities.

You can come for both days, one day or part of a day, whatever you can manage. Lifts can be arranged for anyone in need of one. I've been on a few, and I can really recommend it. I'll try to keep you updated on arrangements on this thread, but feel free to ask anything you're not sure about.
 

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